Italy's Public Transportation Strikes Are Set To Disrupt Travel (And What This Means For Tourists)

Something that might catch American travelers off guard in Europe is the frequency of strikes that can affect flights, trains, and buses. Strikes for European workers trying to negotiate for better pay or workplace rights are quite common, with Italy being among the top 10 countries in the world with the most strikes and lockouts, according to Maps of World. 

Over 20 strikes are slated across Italy for September 2025, which will affect various modes of public transit. While many of the strikes are specific to certain regions or cities, some are nationwide, including a general strike across all of Italy's major railway services that will impact both long-distance and local travelers on September 4 and 5.

Strikes across Europe are at least partly due to the fact that many European countries have higher union strength than in the U.S. As of 2020, nearly 33 percent of Italy's workers are unionized, compared with just around 10 percent in the U.S. (via Statista). Transit workers strike over wages, job security, and work conditions. Labor unions coordinate the strikes and announce them in advance. That gives travelers some time to prepare for navigating around partial or total shutdowns of their planned travel routes. Those coming into Spain had to plan around major disruptions due to historic airport strikes in August 2025, for example. Information about upcoming strikes in Italy is widely published across Italy's rail service websites and news outlets, including a calendar by the Commissione di Garanzia Sciopero (the Strike Guarantee Commission).

Naturally, you might feel a bit frustrated if travel plans go awry because of strikes. The best thing to do if you're caught in a strike in Europe, per Rick Steves, is to try not to get too stressed about it. Most strikes don't last that long. The longest strikes planned in Italy for September are 24 hours, with many only four or eight hours. The major strikes to plan for are: a general railway strike on September 4 to 5, an EasyJet strike affecting flights at Catania Airport on September 6, local public transit strikes in Rome and Palermo on September 8, another local public transit strike in the Emilia-Romagna region on September 22, and overlapping air strikes by Cub Trasporti and Volotea on September 26.

If you do find that your travel dates coincide with scheduled strikes, you might have enough time to adjust your itinerary. Travel services are typically back up and running like normal once the strikes are over. If that's not possible — or if the strike is rescheduled, which is sometimes the case — you may need to consider an alternative transportation option. While taking the train is a top-tier hack for a vacation to Italy, train strikes might mean you'll need to rent a car or take buses. However, Trenitalia (the primary railway operator of Italy) has a "guaranteed minimum transport service," meaning that even during a strike, some of the most crucial trains for commuters continue to run at a minimal schedule, particularly during peak commuter hours.

Flights cancelled because of strikes don't fall under the EU's regulation for passenger compensation, unfortunately, since they're considered to be beyond the airlines' control. Still, the airline is responsible for organizing an alternate travel option.